The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways clarified that all twelve Major Ports in India remain under Government of India ownership, with no major port being privatized. The ports include Chennai Port, Cochin Port, Deendayal Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Kamarajar Port, Mormugao Port, Mumbai Port, New Mangalore Port, Paradip Port, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, V.O. Chidambaranar Port, and Visakhapatnam Port.
Kamarajar Port operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Chennai Port Authority under the Companies Act, while the remaining eleven major ports are governed by the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021. The government maintains ownership of land and core port assets, while specific berths and terminals have been developed through private participation under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode or the Captive Policy, 2016.
PPP Terminal Development: During the last ten years, several terminals were developed under PPP mode through transparent competitive bidding. Chennai Port Authority and Cochin Port Authority developed no PPP terminals in this period. Deendayal Port Authority developed Berth No. 13. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority developed four terminals: Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal Private Limited, Nhava Sheva Distribution Terminal Private Limited, JSW JNPA Liquid Terminal, and Trident Agro Terminals and Logistic Pvt Ltd. Kamarajar Port Limited developed an iron ore terminal. Mormugao Port Authority developed Berths No. 10 & 11. Mumbai Port Authority developed Mumbai International Cruise Terminal and BPX. New Mangalore Port Authority developed Berth No. 16 and Berth No. 14. Paradip Port Authority developed six facilities: Multipurpose Berth for Clean Cargo including Containers, New Iron Ore Berth, EQ-1,2,3 Berths for Coal, New Coal Berth for Coal Imports, and Western Dock. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority developed multiple facilities including Khidderpore dock Rejuvenation, Berth No. 2 at HDC, Berths No. 8 and 7, Berths No 1 NSD, 2 NSD, 3 NSD, 4 NSD, 5 NSD and outer terminal at KDS, and Berth No. 5 at HDC on DBFOT through PPP mode. V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority developed 8th Berth, 9th Berth, and NCB-III. Visakhapatnam Port Authority developed seven facilities: VCTPL-II, Outer Harbour facility (Phase-1) and Inner Harbour Facility (Phase-II), WQ-7 & WQ-8 Berths, West Quay – 6 (WQ-6) terminal, EQ-7 Berth, and East Quay – 6 Berth.
Financial Performance: Total revenue across all major ports grew from ₹17,671.49 crore in FY 2021-22 to ₹26,582.77 crore in FY 2025-26 (provisional unaudited data), representing 50% growth over five years. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority generated the highest revenue in FY25-26 at ₹4,356.34 crore, followed by Paradip Port Authority at ₹2,893.62 crore and Visakhapatnam Port Authority at ₹2,585.85 crore. Deendayal Port Authority showed consistent growth from ₹2,140.59 crore to ₹3,437.25 crore. Mumbai Port Authority increased from ₹1,979.37 crore to ₹3,318.74 crore. The lowest revenue generators were Mormugao Port Authority (₹607.95 crore in FY25-26) and New Mangalore Port Authority (₹1,121.88 crore).
Regulatory Framework: The government has standardized the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) to ensure transparency, competition and protection of public interest. All PPP projects are awarded after open competitive bidding. The government promotes the landlord port model, encouraging private sector participation in development, operation, maintenance and modernization of port infrastructure through PPP mode where feasible. This approach aims to enhance operational efficiency, augment capacity, attract private investment and improve service delivery while maintaining government ownership and administration of major ports.
The information was provided by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on July 21, 2026.